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Posts Tagged "Intercessions for 14 June 2015":

Intercessions for Trinity +2 Year B (Proper 6): 14 June 2015

mustard seed

The Collect

Lord, you have taught us that all our doings without love are nothing worth: send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, the true bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whoever lives is counted dead before you. Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

¶ The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: 1 Samuel 15.34 – 16.13

Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel. The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’ Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.’ And the Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with you, and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.’ Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, ‘Do you come peaceably?’ He said, ‘Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.’ And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen any of these.’ Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

Psalm 20

Refrain: We will call on the name of the Lord our God.
May the Lord hear you in the day of trouble, * the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
Send you help from his sanctuary * and strengthen you out of Zion;
Remember all your offerings * and accept your burnt sacrifice;
Grant you your heart’s desire * and fulfil all your mind.
May we rejoice in your salvation and triumph in the name of our God; * may the Lord perform all your petitions. R
Now I know that the Lord will save his anointed; * he will answer him from his holy heaven, with the mighty strength of his right hand.
Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, * but we will call only on the name of the Lord our God.
They are brought down and fallen, * but we are risen and stand upright.
O Lord, save the king * and answer us when we call upon you.

Refrain: We will call on the name of the Lord our God.

Merciful God,
purify our hearts in the flame of your Spirit
and transform our toil into an offering of praise,
that we may reject the proud rule of might
and trust in Christ alone,
for he is our Lord for ever and ever.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5.6-10(11-13)14-17

Brothers and sisters, we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord – for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. The love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

Gospel Reading: Mark 4.26-34

Such a large crowd gathered around Jesus that he got into a boat and began to teach them using many parables. Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’ Jesus also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’ With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

The RSCM (2009) has: “We are so often plunged into another of Jesus’ wonderful parables and analogies throughout the gospels that we forget the preface, ‘the kingdom of God is like…’ Nearly all his stories and sayings meant to point to this kingdom. So what is it like? St Mark’s record includes the hope of planting, the trust of leaving things to God, the wonder of growth and the faith of starting small. A place of hope, trust, wonder and faith. Is this the kingdom we convey in what we say?”

You can read Jane Williams here by searching ‘alarm’ (p.80).

Prayers of Intercession

That we may grow in the service of Christ, Lord, we pray in his name.

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, when we feel daunted at the sheer number and weight of the tasks which face our Church, mindful that we are fewer and fewer in number, remind us once more of the mustard seed and the hazelnut of Julian of Norwich.  If we look solely at externals, we see only how puny is the material we have to work with. But, small and insignificant though they may be, these spheres each contain within them spinning atoms of vast universes beyond all our imagining.

Lord, help us to see a world in a grain of sand: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

Lord, we pray for those who govern the nations of our world on behalf of the people. Give them strength in time of trouble, grant them your light and your wisdom, and support them through the prayers of our hearts.  Lord of compassion, guide all those who bear public office that they may use their power for the common good. May they remember their promise to serve all the people and take from them, we pray, the thirst for power and wealth.

Lord, help us to see a world in a grain of sand: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The local community

Lord, we ask for your help in all our efforts at building communities within our community. You have promised us that, no matter how small the initiative, if we will plant it and tend it, you will send the sun and the rain to help it flourish. Though we may not succeed at first attempt, give us the courage to try again, and the readiness continually to persevere, should that be needed. And may all that we do be to your greater glory.

Lord, help us to see a world in a grain of sand: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶Those who suffer

Lord, we bring before you all those who pray for shelter from the storm, and protection from thunder, lightning and rain. Teach us instead how to undergo the tempests of this life, which come to all. Instead of craving security above all, show us the comfort of sheltering with friends and sharing the bare necessities. Help us to comfort each other in moments of shared danger or distress. Bring us hope out of our emptiness, energy out of fear and new life out of grief and loss.

Lord, help us to see a world in a grain of sand: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The communion of saints

Lord, we pray for those who have triumphed over death and the grave and come home to you. May they rest in peace and rise in glory.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers…

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): Some material included in this service is copyright: © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Archbishops’ Council 2000 Collect (2nd after Trinity) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

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